Paparazzi

Posted
December 24, 2008 in

As his chosen name suggests, DJ Paparazzi is a Hollywood fixture (by his own estimate spinning “eight nights a week”). He’s made his name with vivacious mixes and a distinctive style at nights like Dance at Arena, Club Redd at Café Sevilla, Check Yo’ Ponytail at Echoplex and, in the past, Le Disko and Club Moscow. But the boy’s no Hollywood hermit—he performs all over the US and in Mexico. Paparazzi starting spinning as plain ol’ Cesar in his native Montebello over 10 years ago on his parents-provided first turntable. By age 18 many scenesters regarded him as a veteran, yet today, still barely into his mid-20s, he’s still seen as an innovator. His vivid, tight edit of Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm” a couple of years back grabbed Paparazzi plenty of attention, as did his “Yummy KnockOut” take on Gwen Stefani’s “Yummy.” Pap’s remix philosophy appears to be simple but effective: exaggerate the best, booty-shakin’ bits of any given song and dismiss the less groovin’ fluff. It’s electro-heavy, cyborg stuff, and Pap’s not afraid to let a beat or bassline, however sparse, repeat and breathe. Being such a taste-shaper means Paparazzi is often sent tracks by producers long before they’re freely available, giving his sets a fresh, unpredictable sense of future. He’s almost obsessed by mixing matters up, not just within his own sets but during the night as a whole, welcoming sometimes unlikely guests (like OK Go) to both DJ and perform live. It says a lot about DJ Paparazzi’s status that he’s on the bill for Downtown L.A.’s monstrous Giant Maximus New Year’s Eve blowout alongside the likes of Moby, Benny Benassi, Dirty South and Paul Oakenfold (and he’s previously shared stages with MSTRKRFT, Justice and Simian Mobile Disco). So make the most of his Glass House set and say hello—Cesar’s the one with the wing of Warped Tour hair and the winning smile. (Paul Rogers)